ICT & Technology | Emerging Tech & Innovation | Regulatory Compliance
Kenya Emerging Technologies Sandbox: What Just Opened
In a circular issued on the 7th July 2026, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), the regulator for information and communications with responsibilities across telecommunications, cyber security, e-commerce, broadcasting and postal and courier services, has issued a public notice inviting applications to its Emerging Technologies Regulatory Sandbox. The sandbox is a controlled environment in which innovators can test novel digital communication products, services and business models that potentially fall outside existing regulatory frameworks, under the Authority’s supervision and before taking them fully to market.
The Authority is inviting interested and eligible innovators, entrepreneurs, technology companies and researchers to apply for admission for the Financial Year 2026/2027. Applications must be submitted through sandbox.ca.go.ke on or before 30 July 2026. The notice is signed by the Director General/CEO, David Mugonyi, EBS. For any business building an emerging-technology product that sits in a regulatory grey area, this is the route to test lawfully, gather feedback and settle compliance early, rather than launching first and litigating later.
Technologies the CA is on the Lookout For
The public notice invites applications from diverse areas, including but not limited to the following. If your solution sits in one of these fields, it is squarely within the target of this call:
- Next-Generation Networks. 5G and 6G applications.
- Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-to-Machine (M2M). Connected-device and M2M communications.
- Over-The-Top (OTT) services and applications. OTT communication and content services.
- Digital broadcasting and content delivery. Innovations in digital broadcasting and content delivery.
- Cybersecurity solutions and tools. Products and tools that strengthen security across the sector.
- Spectrum management and sharing technologies. Technologies that improve how spectrum is managed and shared.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI applied in information and communications.
- Accessibility technologies. Solutions serving unserved and underserved populations in Kenya.
Sandbox Admission Requirements
Who is Invited
The CA invites innovators, entrepreneurs, technology companies and researchers. Applicants must have a company incorporated in Kenya, or be licensed by an ICT market regulator in an equivalent jurisdiction, and must intend to offer an innovative product, solution or service in Kenya following a successful exit from the sandbox.
Sectors in Scope
Broadcasting, cybersecurity, multimedia, telecommunications, e-commerce, and postal and courier services. The tool is aimed at solutions with the potential to deepen or broaden the Kenyan ICT market or to commercialise research and innovation.
What the Application Must Demonstrate
The CA weighs seven areas: genuine innovation; consumer benefit; the need for sandbox testing; test readiness, with defined scenarios and outcomes; consumer protection; risks and their mitigation; and a credible exit strategy.
Documents to File
A fully completed online application form; certified copies of all registration documents; a certified list of directors (where applicable); certified details of the proprietors or founders where the applicant is not an incorporated company; CVs for all founders and key management personnel; an outline of the business model for the product, solution or service; and a projected plan and clear strategy for exiting the sandbox.
Path to Approval
Four stages govern the process: confirm eligibility, submit the application, screening and approval by the CA, then supervised testing followed by a planned exit or deployment.
What Successful Applicants Gain
A safe testing environment with regulatory oversight and flexibility, direct feedback and guidance from the CA and other stakeholders, lower time and cost to launch, early resolution of compliance issues, and access to a network of potential partners, investors and customers.
Your Next Move
- Diarise 30 July 2026 deadline and work back from it. Applications for the FY 2026/2027 cohort close on that date. Map your document-gathering, drafting and internal sign-offs against it now, because certified copies and founder paperwork take longer than teams expect.
- Confirm eligibility. Make sure you have a company incorporated in Kenya, or an equivalent-jurisdiction ICT licence, and that you intend to launch in Kenya after exit. Everything downstream depends on this.
- Assemble the required documentation. Certified registration documents, the list of directors or founders’ details, CVs, a business-model outline and a written exit strategy. Treat the checklist as a pass/fail gate, because that is how it is applied.
- Evaluate your product against the seven assessment areas head-on. Spell out the innovation, the consumer benefit, why the sandbox is the right venue, your test readiness, your consumer-protection measures, your risk mitigation and your exit.
Contributors: Thomas Louis — Founding Partner | tlouis@tladvocates.com Hilda Ritah Mugasia — Trainee Advocate | info@tladvocates.com
Prepared by Thomas Louis Advocates for general information only. This is not legal advice.
